Sky Song
by Cindykt
Summary: This is a crossover between Muse and some concepts of the Inheritance cycle. It's kind of, er, different, so I hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

The blades flickered as they danced around each other, lunging and clashing together, each straining to break down the other's defenses. The metallic ring of steel on steel reverberated around the clearing as they locked, slid, then broke free again, circling each other. Stuck in a death-waltz, each was failing so far to fell the other, to break through, and their strokes became desperate. Finally, one blow was swung too hard and the other whirled away across the clearing, sticking firmly into a tree.

The elfen boy whose sword it was spat contemptuously at the feet of his opponent and stalked over to the tree. He yanked it out, sheathed it and stomped back to his tree, leaving his opponent standing, dumbstruck. He couldn't believe any elf could be so rude. He hadn't even bowed after their sparring. Manners in elfen society were of utmost importance.

The victor bowed his head and wandered back to his tree, deep in thought. As he did so he felt the lightest brush on his mind and instantly recognised the touch. _How did it go, Matt?_ the voice asked, massaging his consciousness in the way that Matt loved it so. _I defeated him. It wasn't easy, but I have the victory, _he replied. The voice returned. _I thought I felt you feeling triumphant. _Ahh, how he loved that voice, the voice of Mithril, his dragon.

He rubbed his hands through his long, shaggy hair, and massaged his temples. They rand inwards and tugged at the corners of his bright blue eyes. _Mith, I don't understand. Why was he like that? What was up with him? I mean, Dominic's never liked me, but why behave like that in public?_ he told her as he fed a stream of recent memories to her. He rounded a corner in the road, and came to his tree. He looked up and there she was, her purple scales shimmering as he shimmied up the trunk and settled on his favourite branch, next to her, her blue eyes staring deep into him. She would understand. _You'd talked to Shadowback often before this, hadn't you? What did he say? _he asked her.She sighed. _Shadowback is as elusive as his rider. However, he did mention that Dominic was very desperate to best you today for personal reasons. I could not see why, though, his mind was too well shielded. Or he was expecting it, _she replied. He hummed as she tickled his neck with her tail. _Personal reasons, pah. I think he was just trying to boost his ego, _said Matt, suddenly feeling a lot more jubilant. _Let's get some food_, he spoke again as his stomach grumbled loudly.

A while later at the dining hall, seated next to Chris and his dragon, Shaiya, and they had stuffed themselves full of roasted boar and mulled (non alcoholic) wine, they were talking animatedly about the new swords that the smith had started making. Matt and Chris were best friends, but they were complete opposites.

Chris was tall with long, curled hair, golden-brown eyes and a big smile that lit up his face. He was built rather stockily for an elf, but that didn't stop him from possessing superhuman speed and co-ordination. He was cheerful and easygoing, and very protective of those he loved. His dragon shared much of his personality. Shaiya was a big golden dragon, big to match his rider. He was also very stocky, but quite clumsy and often tripped over his tail. He was of the four-legged kind, as was Mithril, and had a large collar of spines around his head which clicked together when he shook his head, as he often did. The pair were formidable in the mock fights set up for them by their trainers, but were so kind hearted that they wouldn't hurt a fly outside of a battle.

Matt on the other hand, was very small and slender, with somewhat shaggy hair that was somewhere between black and brown. His eyes were large and they were an intense, burning blue, the kind that would knock you off your feet, steal your soul, then set you down again in a heartbeat. He was quiet and shy, but also very protective, especially of Mithril. She was the only one who understood him fully, knew all his secrets. She had large wings and a slim body, like her rider. Her tail was very long and in general, she was beautiful, also like her rider. He eyes were large and blue and he scales a mottled mix of purple and blue. Unlike Shaiya, she had two long, sweeping horns on the back of her head. And unlike Shaiya (and Chris for that matter) both of them had found themselves in trouble more times than was healthy. Or maybe it was healthy, because it was how they'd become friends.

It started four years ago, when they were both at the tender young age of twelve…

The first day at the new dragon academy and Matthew was already in trouble. It wasn't easy, having been a shapeshifter all your life and then suddenly having that taken away from you. But it had, as the dragonling peeking out of his tunic showed, and now he had no way out. It also wasn't easy being so small and pretty, as he was often picked on by the thuggish elder boys at the academy who were just trying to prove themselves to each other.

This was how he'd found himself backed into a corner, his new baby dragon squeaking in fright. Usually, he'd leap forward and shift to his alternate form, that of a wolf, and escape. But as he was fully aware now, his bones no longer had the magic in them to warp and crunch to take on his lupine form. The loss was worth it, though, for Mithril had chosen him and their bond was very strong already.

'Hey, pretty boy with the pretty dragon, what are you scared of? Aren't you just gonna, you know, go _werewolf_ on us now? I thought nobody could touch you,' the older boys sneered, dragons beside them. He threw his head back and howled loudly, mocking all that Matthew had ever loved about his life until now.

'Or maybe you're just going to take us on, here and now, with the _wolfish strength _and _power_ that _courses_ through you, huh?' Matthew drew his dagger, in case the worst came to the worst, but this just got more scorn.

'Ooh, he's getting _mad _now, boys, we'd better run! Look at his _mighty blade, _he's gonna run us through,' they sneered, drawing full bladed swords. Matthew trembled in his little boots. Usually it didn't get this bad. What should he do? He could feel Mithril trembling inside his tunic, and he knew he had to keep her safe. Should he yell? Fight? Run? He decided yelling was the best option. They were much bigger, stronger and older than him, he'd get beaten to a bloody pulp on the ground.

He backed further into the corner and opened his mouth, preparing to scream. But as he did so, a deeper voice sounded behind him.

'Excuse me, but what do you think you're doing?' Matthew gaped as his classmate, Chris, appeared, lazily leaning on the wall, his little gold dragon in his mess of wild curly hair.

'Ooh, look, we've got company,' the elder three laughed scornfully. The baby in Chris' hair puffed himself up and blew a tiny cloud of smoke at them, and they laughed hysterically. Then Chris straightened up, and they quailed slightly at seeing that he was taller and slightly bigger than them. He edged forward with a confidence that Matthew envied badly.

'Look, chums, I'd really appreciate it if you left him alone,' he said softly.

'Huh, big guy, what makes you think you can just ask and we'll do it?' the lead bully smirked, with a more threatening air.

Chris paused, smiled, then reached into his tunic and walked very close to the bully. He smiled broadly, then drew his hand out in a fist and laid it very close to the bully's throat, then opened it.

'This.' The bully took one look at what was in the palm of Chris' hand, blanched, turned in the opposite direction and ran, the graceful, powerful, efficient lope that all elves possessed. The others scarpered as well, leaving them quite alone.

Matthew was amazed, and very thankful.

'T-thankyou, Chris,' he stammered as he struggled off the ground. Chris paced forward and helped him up, the little golden dragon on his head squeaking happily, its tail entangled in the mess of hair up there. 'H-how did you g-get them to m-move so quickly? Wha-what was that?' he asked shakily. Chris flashed him a big smile, then opened his other fist. Matthew craned his neck to see, then uttered a little squeak and jumped backwards. Chris laughed.

'Yes, not many people are easy around her, but she's my little weapon,' he said.

'H-how are you not, you know,' Matthew swallowed. 'Uh, dead?' Chris laughed again.

'I was bitten by one when I was young, but the healers got me, so now I'm immune. She's my pet now,' he told him.

Indeed, the deadly scorpion that Chris had tucked up in his top was not to be taken lightly. Strong as the elves' bodies were, one sting from it would have them dying a horrible, painful death as the toxins burned through their bodies. It took less than a day.

'Well, uhh, um, thanks I guess. I'd better go,' muttered Matthew, even though he had nowhere to go to. Mithril was squirming around on his shoulders now, Chris watching with interest and laughing softly as the little dragon's head appeared over Matthew's pointed ear.

'No, stay,' Chris replied. 'You don't have anybody to go to,' he said, softer this time. Matthew looked at him, dumbstruck.

'How do you kn- oh,' he said, ashamed. Chris smiled gently and tapped his forehead.

'It must be really hard for you, having that suddenly taken away,' he told Matthew, who nodded.

Now that he wasn't a shapeshifter anymore, people had access to his thoughts. Previously, he'd lived in secrecy, being able to retreat into his mind by himself and not share it with anybody. Now he was forced to keep his mind constantly under guard, to protect his emotions, memories and thoughts. Everybody else had lived with this open access for their whole lives, and Matthew didn't know how they would have done it. Usually he could feel it, but he wasn't as sensitive as others and it only took a light brush of contact from somebody like Chris to have gleaned outside information off him and he wouldn't even know.

It was the dragon that had done it. The bond they'd formed immediately as she'd hatched had sapped the magic he used to shift and used it for something else, which happened to be the secure mental link between their minds. He wasn't going to complain though, because he knew every elf had to have a dragon to share their life with and he would be outcast if he didn't. So he just had to adjust.

He and Chris looked away from each other awkwardly.

'So, do you, um, want to come back to mine? I could, er, teach you some stuff, I found some new spells the other day and they're pretty good, um, I could show you how to do them, and uh-' Matthew cut him off.

'I'd like that,' he said, and Chris' easy smile returned. Then, quieter, Matthew continued.

'I've never had a friend before.'

Two hours later, they'd made themselves comfortable in Chris' big tree. He'd made it more 'himself' by adding hammocks and ropes everywhere, so it was almost impossible to fall. They had been practicing their spells seriously for a while, then Chris had tried to teach Matthew some mental defense tactics, but in the end they'd ended up messing around and making up stupid spells with their energy rings.

'_Iliae jahrlens- _AAAIEEEEEE!' Matthew squealed as a giant ball of feathers erupted in his tunic, having been summoned and spirited there by a smirking Chris.

'Ahh, get them out, do you have any idea how ticklish I am? I- HA!' Matthew had an idea. While he was wriggling away from Chris, he closed his eyes, tapped into the dwindling supply of energy in his ring, and muttered a little spell. With a loud 'poof' all the feathers in his tunic had appeared in Chris', and Matthew was laughing so hard he nearly fell off his hammock. It felt so good just to be able to relax with somebody, to mess around and be a fool with them and not be judged. Chris' suprised bellow upset the dragons, who were snoozing on a high branch, and they awoke with a squeak. Matthew giggled madly as Chris ended up hanging upside down and shaking them out of his tunic.

Both exhausted, they lay back on the two hammocks, just enjoying the other's company. Then Matthew decided he wasn't tired enough, and, lying back and pretending to sleep, he reached out with his mind and poked Chris'. His eyes shot open and he pulled an evil face at the giggling form of Matthew, and poked him back a bit harder, memories and emotions brushing together in a more forceful way that Matthew found unsettling. He retreated back inside himself, scared at the contact with another consciousness, and Chris sighed.

'You know, Matthew, you're really going to have to get used to that,' he said gently.

'I know,' Matthew sighed. With that, he thanked Chris for having him, collected Mithril, who squeaked at he slumber being interrupted, and headed back to his own tree.

Three years had passed, and there was a new boy in their year, which meant a new dragon. Their names were Dominic and Shadowback, and both were as mysterious and elusive as each other. Matt (as Chris now called him) and Chris' relationship had become as strong as ever, and the two (or four, counting the dragons) were inseparable.

All the dragons had grown, and were now big enough to be ridden (but not flown). They'd also grown in mind, and were vastly more intelligent than the elves themselves, with is a big statement. So now it was a circle of four, with a leg total of twelve. They'd spend days together, training with practice swords, practicing their spells, grappling and reading. They would go over and over and over the same spells, techniques, passages from scrolls to make sure they got everything right when it came to tests and exams, and as a result of their teamwork got very good grades.

Matt had grown much stronger mentally, thanks to his endless drilling with Chris, and now he would be able to tell if anybody was in his head. He was still physically very small though, and still pretty, although with a certain ruggedness to him now. Both their arms had become hard and toned from endless hours of sparring, and although Chris usually won because of his superior size and strength, Matt would sometimes find a way to wriggle under his defenses and get in a few taps.

In short, for Matt and Mithril right then, life was pretty good. She had grown considerably, and they held sophisticated conversations about the origins of magic and other such topics when they were restless. Shaiya was big now, heavily built, and he and Mithril often had play-fights, battering each other with their wings and using small amounts of dragon magic on each other, to prepare themselves for when they'd have to hunt. But, as they were currently smaller than all the prey (which probably says something about the size of the prey) in the forest, they would have to wait.

However, Matt was intrigued about this new Dominic boy. He was only a little larger than Matt, and he was new, so why wasn't he being teased? And more importantly, why did he hang around with… nobody? He remained quiet and secretive, preferring his own company.

One day after class, Matt tried to approach him, but he sprang nimbly onto the back of his dragon and they ran away, as if they were scared. But who could be scared of little Matt, the one everybody else picked on? He was very confused, and told Chris so.

'You know, not everybody wants to have friends,' Chris said. 'I knew you were lonely, so I helped you. He's lonely, but he…' he searched for the right words. 'He revels in his loneliness. If you were more inquisitive, you'd learn things like that.'

Matt still wouldn't believe it, and tried to approach Dominic again. Again, he was brushed off and ignored. The next time he tried, he was met with stormy grey grey eyes burning with not hatred, but something close to it. He never tried it again.

Time marched on, and still Dominic was never seen with anybody other than Shadowback. Matt was still as confused as ever, but he was shy and didn't want Dominic's eyes looking at him like that again. They made him feel like he was the only one in the world, standing at the top of a mountain in a wasteland. He did not like it.

He really isn't making an effort to fit in, thought Matt. But then again, maybe he doesn't want to. But just the thought of another new boy enduring what he himself had to go through made Matt's stomach squirm, and he racked his brains for something else to do. He thought of nothing, and wasn't brave enough to confront Dominic again. So he let it be.

As they got older, the boys in the academy started having sparring matches among themselves. It was a fair way of evening out disputes (dragons were NOT allowed to help in any way), and was quite popular entertainment. Some, of course, did it only to impress girls, and some did it for fun. Chris had been in a few, walking away victorious every time, but Matt was too timid. He'd watch and cheer for Chris, but had never crossed swords in something like that before. There were also random matches often set up between two boys for a prize, and this was how Matt found himself in a face-off with the eyes that scared him so much.

He'd been feeling brave one afternoon, and put his name down for a fight with a randomly chosen opponent the next day. Of course, his 'randomly chosen opponent' had to be Dominic, and he ended up winning. Dominic was never nice to him, but Matt was sure he didn't _quite_ have to be so downright rude after the fight. Matt walked away with an expensive silver ring, which fit perfectly around one of his beloved Mithril's horns, so he let her keep it.

'I think he really hates me now,' he mused to Chris, who chuckled.

'I am quite sure of it,' came the reply. Matt absent-mindedly reach up and scratched the soft scales under Mithril's chin and she purred. _Definitely. Shadowback will probably hate me now too, oh well, _she said. _Do we need them to like us? _asked Matt. He was shocked to realise that he wanted Dominic to like him, or at least approve of him. _You know what you want, not meaning to sound dirty, _she said and he rolled his eyes. For a young dragon, she had an extremely sick mind (but that was probably from hanging around teenage elf boys). _Hm, _he mused. _Maybe not. After all, I'm hated by just about everybody in the academy, so why not another one? _He chuckled and she hummed with him, then suddenly stopped. He opened his eyes and quailed.

Stormy, smoky eyes, were right in his face and they were burning with actual hate. Straight blonde hair framed a furious face. A straight nose scrunched in wrath was set above a mouth with a full lips curled up with straight white teeth bared. It was the scariest thing Matt had ever seen and he unconsciously backed away.

'_You. Stay. Away. From. Me,' _Dominic rasped in his face, then swept away, stalking to the serving tables and grabbing a side of boar.

Matt trembled in his chair and instinctively reached out for the reassuring touch of Mithril's scales.

'Uh, Chris, I'm, er, going back now, see you tomorrow,' he said, then they hurriedly wound through the streets back to their tree.

Once safely nestled in its branches, Matt spoke to Mithril in their minds. _Great. Now how am I going to get through classes? _ She sensed his fear. _It's okay, little wolf. I'm here. I won't let him touch you, _she said in her honeyed voice. He crawled over and snuggled up to her side, just feeling her breathing and listening to her mighty heart send lifeblood coursing around her. She smiled a toothy grin as he pulled her great wing over himself like a blanket. _Soon we'll fly on these wings, _she told him, and he thrilled at the thought. She was everything to him now, the memories of ever being able to change form in the blink of an eye faded and distorted. He was so lucky to have her, just to hold him close and protect him. She could soothe his pain, dismiss his fear, ease his distress with just words and a touch of her smooth scales, and he did the same for her. _Mithril, _he said sleepily. _Yes, little wolf? _came the reply, and he smiled at the use of her pet name for him. _Don't ever leave me, _ he said. _Matthew, you know I would die if I had to leave you, _she replied. Content with this answer, he snuggled closer until he lay against her side. Then he slept, warmed by Mithril's hidden fires, fires deep inside her that had not shown themselves as of yet but would do any day now.


	2. Chapter 2

Life at the academy was not easy. Taken from their homes as a very young age, the students wouldn't see their families again until they had finished their educations.

They lived in large trees in a forest on the grounds, which was because all elves like to be in nature. Meals were eaten in a large dining hall between lessons. These ran from sunrise till sunset, with two lessons, breakfast, four lessons, lunch, three more lessons, then dinner and free time until the bed bell and they'd sleep till the next morning. Free time was used mostly for study and homework.

Matt and Mithril didn't really mid the tight schedule because they liked to be busy. Boredom was something of a crime, so the academy worked hard to keep its students active. Chris, on the other hand, was very lazy and hated getting up at the crack of dawn. He could lie around doing absolutely nothing at all for hours. Shaiya was even worse than him, and often had to be poked awake or pushed off his branch. Matt would often come around in the morning to find them both fast asleep, and only his intervention would save them from being late.

On one such morning, Matt wriggled up into Chris' tree and turned his hammock upside down. A thoroughly woken up and swearing Chris tumbled out, while Mithril poked and prodded Shaiya awake.

_Nnng, 'm awake, _Shaiya mumbled.

_Good, c'mon, sleepy, _replied Mithril as he hopped down.

'Maaaatt, you know I hate it when you do that,' groaned Chris into the floor.

'Well, I have to or you never wake up,' Matt explained.

'Whatever, we should probably get going.'

The walked down to the main courtyard and were surprised to noticed a large crowd gathered around the central notice board. Pushing through (or under, in Matt's case) they got closer to the front and read the notice.

'**Taking of Names Ceremony'**

'**Applicants must hand in applications before the last day of the current moon. The ceremony will be held on the middle night of next moon.'**

'**APPLICANTS MUST HAVE FLIGHT AND BE AT LEAST 16 SUN CYCLES IN AGE'**

They stared, dumbstruck and excited. The Taking of Names was the most important ritual that would occur in an elf's life, for it marked the entry into the freedom of adult life. No family could bind them, they could leave the academy if they wished and pursue the lives they wished to live. They took a last name, which would identify them as whole and complete, and were allowed to start a family of their own. This last name also applied to the dragons to which they were bonded, but the dragons themselves could choose to mate among others. They had to pick carefully, though, because once they were mated, they were so for life.

This ceremony was also important for Matt and Chris, because they wanted nothing more than to be free. They didn't mind the classes, but it was all they had ever known and they wanted to try something different, something new. This marked their chance to get out into the world that they longed to see.

But unfortunately, it also required them to be able to fly together, something which neither of them could. Mithril and Shaiya could just about do it on their own, but carrying a rider was a completely different story.

The crowd slowly dispersed. As they walked to their first class, Chris and Matt discussed the ceremony while the dragons played alongside them.

'Matt, do you think we could somehow get flight before the ceremony? I want to get out of here so badly, and who knows when the next opportunity will be?' Chris voiced his concerns.

'I'm sure we could, somehow, but it'd take time and effort, both of which we have none,' answered Matt.

'We have weekends, let's see,' Chris counted in his head. 'We've got five weekends, I reckon we could do it,'

Matt nodded absent-mindedly. Mithril pranced up beside him and his hand unconsciously found her flying-shoulder. The muscle was hard and well shaped.

_Little wolf, I will have us flying at the end of five weeks or my scales are pink._

He hugged her.

They arrived at the clearing where their class was held. Elves were taught in either forest clearing or large trees, because in nature was where they could focus most and therefore learn more. Their tutor was late (again) and everybody was messing around. Matt and Chris found a low tree branch to sit on, while the dragons were comparing claws on the ground in front of them.

_See look, the base of mine isn't gold, it's silver! _Mithril was saying.

_It's supposed to be gold, _Shaiya insisted.

_No, it's not. I'm purple. You're the gold one, that's how it's supposed to be ON YOU._

_No, look. She's green, hers are gold. He's red, his are gold too. She's a similar colour to you, hers are… silver? _

_I told-_

She stopped mid-sentence. A hush had fallen over the whole clearing. A sound could be heard, a whistling, keening noise. It was growing closer and closer, louder and louder. Then it suddenly stopped, to be replaced by a dull 'swoosh' and then the sound of wingbeats. A shadow dropped out of the cloud.

It was a silvery-black dragon, one Matt instantly recognised.

'How did they do that?' he mouthed in wonder.

The flying dragon dropped lower and lower until he was recognisable by all, as well as the rider on his back.

Shadowback glided straight in and landed off to the side of the clearing. He was obviously enjoying this, having achieved something as desirable as flight before everybody else.

Matt felt envy emanating from Chris and Shaiya, who was now flexing and rolling his wings. Something different was coming from Mithril, though, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

Then a thought struck Chris. It was a crazy, mental, slightly evil idea, but it might just work. He turned to Matt.

'Matt, how badly do you want to fly?' he asked.

Matt looked at him, then realised what he was saying.

'Oh, no. Chris, I couldn't do that,' he said.

'How badly do you want to be free? Get out of here and live your life? Find a nice girl, be in control of who you are? How bad?' Chris challenged.

'We're going to try it on our own first, thanks very much,' Matt replied.

'Okay, if you say so. Oh, darnit, tutor's here.'

They walked back from dinner, full and satisfied. Matt was singing a song he'd made up about rib steak.

_Little wolf, you should sing more. Your voice is beautiful,_ Mithril told him.

He flushed with pleasure.

_Mithril, I love you._

He ran to her and vaulted onto her back as she chuckled, him needing no reply. He held her tight and she caressed him with her wings.

_Aww, love._

_Shaiya, shut up. Look at yourselves._ Mithril rolled her deep purple eyes.

Then Chris yelled with laughter somewhere in the dark. It was evident that they were play tackling, their was of showing affection.

They bade each other goodnight and went their separate ways to their trees. When Matt and Mithril arrived, he shimmied up and waited for her.

_Matt, watch this, _came her voice from below.

He leaned out and watched her as she crouched and prepared to jump. Bunching her lean legs and extending her wings, she launched herself off the ground. He was breathless as she angled her wings slightly and glided into the tree, flushing with pride.

_See, it won't be long._

_I hope not, _Matt replied. _I __**won't **__go to Dominic for help, even if he offers it to us, which is impossible. And speaking of Dominic, you were looking at his dragon funny today after they made their grand entrance._

_Was I? _she asked innocently.

_You were, _he confirmed.

_Okay, I may or may not have a slight crush on him. Don't worry, it'll pass._

_Oh, that's cute. Good for you, as long as I don't have to have anything to do with Dominic. He's a very nice looking dragon, and I know you like a bit of mystery. Shaiya will be mad, though. I reckon he fancies you._

_Shaiya? He's my best friend, apart from you, obviously. Besides, he told me he's got the hots for the little diamond coloured one. Cyrian, I think her name is. Rider is Radlan._

_Hm? I think they'd go well together. She's so small, and he's so big and protective. Actually, she's no smaller than you._

_I like being little, don't you? _she mused.

_Yes, it's handy sometimes. And it's good having two big guys as best friends, keeping us safe. _

She reverted back to their previous subject.

_What of you, Matt? Surely you must have feelings for somebody?_

He racked his brains. There were certainly some very attractive girls that he knew of, but he found no feelings inside hims for anybody.

_There is no one. You can search my thoughts, but you will find nothing._

_I'm sure you will find somebody, little wolf. You are a very handsome boy, _she told him.

He snorted.

_Handsome? I'm so small and thin, I'm like a baby tree. Everybody picks on me because I'm pretty._

_You __**were**__ small and thin, and okay, you still are, but not like before. Take off your shirt and look in this mirror, _she instructed.

He went to the part of the tree where the leaves were so thick nobody could see through and pulled off his shirt. Mithril padded over with a lantern and a mirror which she placed in front of him. He drew a sharp breath as he saw himself.

His hair was slightly long, spiked and jet black, a dark halo framing a pale face. So pale that his skin was alabaster, almost white. He noticed that his face, although still the same he'd always had, was not what could be called simply 'pretty.'

_You're beautiful, _Mithril told him, and he flushed with pride.

His eyes were blue, sparkling, sapphire blue, complimented perfectly by small, red lips. His cheekbones cast shadows, making his skin look chiseled and marble-like, like a perfect statue. His pointed ears tapered back gracefully, and he had a sudden flash of boldness. Running to his chest of belongings, he took out a needle and the small amethyst charm his mother had given to him before he left.

_I'm feeling rebellious,_ he said, then cast a quick numbing spell and thrust the needle through his ear, piercing it. This was not uncommon among elves, as their long ears usually looked very good with adornments. He'd done it halfway along the length, and he put the ring with the charm on it through. It was a very small ring, with a tiny purple flame on it.

Mithril studied him.

_Looks good, _she said, nodding.

He grinned and went back to the mirror. His eyes wandered down his pale neck to his shoulders and chest, and he was pleased to notice that all his training had paid off. His arms weren't stick skinny any more, but slim and muscled. His shoulders weren't as wide or muscular as he'd hoped, but he wasn't that way naturally and had worked hard for what he had.

Further downwards, slightly pronounced pectorals rested above a toned stomach with smooth hips. All in all, he'd previously had no idea what he actually looked like, and he was stunned.

_Hm, I think I may have to start going shirtless like the others soon, _he said snidely when he was snuggled up under Mithril's wing. Outside it was pouring with rain, but her inside fire kept him warm.

_You'll freeze, but I think you've got that low-neck shirt somewhere. I'll find it for you in the morning._

_Hm, that'd be good. Night, Mithril._

_Goodnight, little wolf. _


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Matt awoke with renewed confidence in himself.

_Morning, baby, _he greeted Mithril with a nickname he'd had for her when she was little.

_You haven't called me that in ages, _she yawned.

It was cold, very cold. Matt started getting his equipment and books ready for classes, but received a poke in the back. He turned to find a large purple eye staring at him reproachfully.

_Weekend, silly. _

He laughed with relief and tumbled back down to his branch. The rain outside was still sheeting down, and thunder could be heard in the distance.

_Winter's setting in, _he observed dryly, and started gathering dead leaf material and dry twigs for a fire. When he had a nice heap, he prepared to light it with magic, but Mithril stopped him.

_No fire, not yet, please, _she begged, and he was surprised and concerned about her sudden change in mood. She usually loved having a fire. It was then that he noticed that she didn't look well. She was very hot, feverish, with small beads of sweat between her gemlike scales. Through their connection, he felt her burning throat and itching nostrils.

_Mithril, lie down, _he commanded immediately and she complied, placing herself down on a patch of cool, wet leaves. He wet a cloth with rainwater, took her beautiful head in his lap and bathed it, stroking her long forehead and nose tenderly.

_What brought this on, do you know? _he asked.

_I don't know, I've never felt like this before,_ came her reply.

Then suddenly, a spasm shook her body and she started coughing. Matt jumped to his feet in fright as she staggered upright and arched her neck.

_Matt, stay away!_ she warned him, so he backed off, terrified. Mithril's claws dug into the wood as her whole being trembled with the force of her coughing fit.

_Oh, here it comes! Ow, ow! _she cried in her thoughts.

_Here what comes? _Matt was panicking.

As if in reply, Mithril sneezed, coughed twice more, arched her back, flicked her tail and spat out a small, purply-blue fireball.

_Oh my, _Matt breathed.

_Ouch, that wasn't fun,_ she said, shaking her head.

_Baby, you just breathed fire,_ said Matt in awe.

_Oh yes, it would appear that I did, wouldn't it?_ she said smugly, shuffling around.

_Can you do it again? _he asked excitedly.

_I think so, I'll try. _

Drawing her head back she gently ignited the small pile of tinder Matt had laid out, then turned to him, thrilled.

_I may not be able to fly, but I bet I'm the first one with fire in our year, _she crowed, infinitely proud of herself.

During the next half hour she amused herself by setting fire to various objects that weren't meant to be burnt, while Matt called Chris and Shaiya around to show off her new skill.

When they finally arrived, bedraggled and sleepy, Mithril pounced on Shaiya.

_!_

He laughed and shook her off, then listened patiently while she listed, in minute detail, everything that had happened.

Meanwhile, Chris interrogated Matt.

'Was it scary? What did she actually do? How long did it take? What did it feel like? D'you think Shaiya will start soon?'

'Whoa, whoa, one at a time!' Matt laughed. After he'd answered all of the questions to Chris' satisfaction, they had a very in-depth conversation as to why it had hurt Mithril so much and concluded that the first fireball had to clear all the ash and residue down there.

'You wanna get some breakfast?' Chris asked, rapidly changing topic.

'Yeah, sure. Meet you in five,' Matt said as Chris and Shaiya went back to get ready.

_Mithril, did you ever find that shirt you were talking about? _Matt inquired.

_Just looking for it now, ah, here we go. _She flicked a thin blue shirt at him, and he pulled it on. It had a low neck and the sleeves were open from the elbow down. It was a jet black colour that contrasted brilliantly with his white skin. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, noticing his new earring. Mithril sure did know how to make him feel good about himself.

_Little wolf, you're getting far too vain, _she sniffed, and flicked her tail, smashing the mirror.

He smiled guiltily.

_Sorry, but you've made me feel way too hot, I can't resist. Thanks, though, _he told her gratefully.

When at last they arrived at the dining hall for breakfast, Chris was waiting for them.

'Oh, by the way, nice earring, looks totally badass,' he said when Matt walked up.

'Thanks, Chris.' They walked to the serving area in silence, proud flames flickering in Mithril's nostrils.

_And you say __**I'm **__vain, _Matt joked.

_There is a difference between pride and vanity,_ she said disdainfully, but he saw the truth in her words and took it to heart.

They were seated at a log fire, eating, when Dominic and Shadowback literally dropped in and stalked to the serving area, Dominic's signature not-my-problem look gracing his face.

Matt studied Shadowback. He had a medium build, somewhere between Mithril and Shaiya. His scales were a smoky colour, somewhere between silver and black, and they radiated a dark glow that Mithril in particular found entrancing. A line of dangerously sharp-looking spines ran back down from the top of his forehead, as well as spines on both sides of his muzzle. But it wasn't his appearance that had Matt confused, it was his general demeanour. He seemed calm and easygoing, even friendly without Dominic's influence, but together they were as elusive and shy as foxes.

Right now he was flexing his pearly wings proudly as he instructed Dominic as to which steak he wanted. Matt noticed that Dominic's behaviour toward his dragon was friendly and affectionate, but then Dominic noticed him. Or more particularly, him staring. Matt quickly dropped his gaze, but he was too late. Dominic jumped to his feet and glided over to where Matt was sitting, Shadowback following gracefully behind. But this time, Matt wasn't absolutely terrified. He had new confidence in himself and wasn't going to let something as simple as a grudge held against him ruin it.

'What are you staring at, pretty boy?' Dominic snarled.

'As a matter of fact, I was staring at that hot chick behind you,' Matt said back, a lot smoother than he felt.

Dominic whirled round like lightning. Seeing nothing, he turned back, furious.

'Look, I told you to stay away from me, and that includes those eyes of yours, however blue they are.'

Here, Mithril intervened by stepping up to Dominic, sitting on her haunches and carefully placing a claw in the middle of his chest.

_Hey, you. _She touched his mind and he flinched. _I'd really appreciate it if you left us alone, too.' _And to prove her point, she released a puff of purple fire in his face.

At this, something changed in him. Matt, Chris and the dragons could feel it emanating from him like a spell. Dominic's face softened, and tears formed in his eyes. His glance flicked to Shadowback, then to Mithril.

'Okay,' he whispered, and walked away. 'Come on, Shadow.'

But Shadowback stayed, looking apprehensive. He fidgeted and shuffled his wings.

_Thanks, Mithril, for putting him in his place. I'm so sorry he's been acting like that to you. He's been through a lot,_ he said resignedly.

Matt snickered, winked and motioned that he was going back to the tree with Shaiya and Chris, leaving the two quite alone.

Mithril quickly shielded her mind, lest he discover her feelings for him, and then her curiosity got the better of her.

_Why did Dominic suddenly go all quiet? _ she asked, then hurriedly continued, suddenly feeling very awkward. _You don't have to tell me if you don't want to._

He sighed, deep in his chest.

_No, I'll tell you. I've kept it secret for too long, I have to tell somebody. You have to swear that you'll keep it secret, though._

So she swore and ancient oath.

_Okay, here goes._

_Actually, wait. Why don't we go somewhere a bit nicer?_ she suggested, so they went outside and sat under one of the old trees. It started raining.

_Okay, fire away,_ she told him.

_Please don't mention fire around me. Here goes…_ and he poured a stream of memories to her.

It was dark. Thunder resounded as lightning lit up the sheeting rain which silhouetted the small figure as he ran for his life, a dragonling clutched to his chest. A stolen dragonling.

The wolves howled, hot on his tail. Dominic stumbled and fell, his feet bleeding, soaked to the skin, but he got up and ran on. The dragonling squeaked in terror.

Dominic ran on and on into the night, the howls of the wolves closing in on him. Only terror fueled him, and the need to protect the dragonling whose mind, even as he ran, was fusing with his, bonding them for life. He was a thief, a dragon thief. It was a desperate situation that had forced him to do it, but he'd done it, so he was a thief.

No egg had hatched for him, so he was going to be an outcast. Being cast out, for and elf, was a fate worse than death. They were forced to wander in the wilderness alone forever, and anybody who saw an outcast was required, by law, to kill them on sight. It was cruel, but such is reality.

Dominic had one more choice, according to himself. He could either accept his fate and be cast out, or he could steal a wild dragonling from the wolves who helped raise them, run away, and try to start a new life. He chose the latter, and ventured into the wolves' territory and stole the first dragonling he saw. But then his plan went pear-shaped, as the guardian wolf woke up, which is how he found himself in his dire situation.

Just as he was about to surrender, he came across a river. Sinking weakly into the mud on the shore, he laughed with relief. Placing the dragonling on his head, he eased into the water and swam rapidly downstream with the current. Ha, those wolves would never find his scent now.

He didn't know how long he swam for, but eventually he just let himself be carried by the flowing water.

There was a sudden jerk on his collar, and he woke from his dreamlike state. The dragonling in his hair let out a squeak as Dominic was dragged out of the water.

'Well, what have we here?' said a jolly voice in his ear.

He was being suspended by a fisherman with a long, hooked pole, and he'd never been so glad to see another elf in his life.

_So, the fisherman took us in. Dominic lied, told him that I'd chosen him, and I was too young to object. The fisherman and his dragon adopted us, and when I was old enough, sent us here. We're lucky to be alive, _he said quietly.

Mithril was silent with awe.

_How did you get through that intact? _

_We didn't. I'm not finished. Neither of us are what we used to be. _He was silent.

_Dominic, well. The lies have taken their toll on him, which is why he is so unapproachable. I have memories of times past, when he was as happy and free as a bird. You see, if anybody else finds out that I'm stolen, we'll be separated and cast out, forbidden to have contact with each other ever again. Me? During the river journey, I inhaled too much water, it put out my flames, so I'll never breathe fire. _

She was silent again in appreciation of what he'd just told her. He'd shared with her a secret, a secret on which his life rested.

_Dominic blames himself. He blames himself for this, but I'm glad he stole me. We love each other infinitely, even as you and Matthew love each other, and it is this love that causes him so much sadness. He thinks he has made me suffer without fire, and I do, but I don't blame him. I can fly, but it is really my secret, burning desire to be able to summon a flame from within me at a whim, but nobody can give that to me. _

Mithril thought for a moment, then spoke boldly.

_I will give you fire. You've put your life in my claws, shared your deepest secret with me, so I will find a way to reignite your flames._

He was stunned.

_You-you will?_

_I will, if it takes me forever and again, _she asserted.

_Thank you, you have no idea how much it would mean to me,_ he said. _Thank you. _

His lips curved upwards in a gentle, appreciative smile as the tip of his wing reached out and rested on her shoulder.

And thus they sat, in quiet company, while the heavens poured down.


	4. Chapter 4

The soft breeze flowed over his wings as together they soared through the night. Clouds were left behind, it was just them in the company of the ever-shining, ever-silent stars.

_She swore she'd give me fire._

_I don't trust her._

_She swore an oath of the ancients not to tell anybody._

_I still don't trust her._

_You trust no one._

_I trust you._

_I am the only one, then. _

Dominic was silent. He emptied his mind and tried to forget that Shadowback had shared their life's secret with the dragon of somebody who he hated. Tried to forget what he himself had done. Tried to pretend to be normal.

He tilted his head back, reveling in the feel of the cool night air on his neck. It whipped around them, tousling his hair and clawing at his tunic. He didn't care. He closed his eyes and got lost in the feeling of the weightlessness of flight.

Chris actually woke up of his own accord on the second day of the weekend. Yawning and stretching, he leaned over to scratch Shaiya's flank, then promptly fell out of his hammock, waking the dragon up.

_So graceful, aren't you? _Shaiya teased as Chris tried to untangle his wild hair.

_Mmmph. Not my fault, _Chris groaned.

Shaiya rolled his big golden eyes.

_I'm going to brekky, see you later._

'_Kay, I'll be down in a sec, after I get this knot out- OW! _

_What've you done now?_

_Found my necklace in my hair. _

_Ah, that would explain._

Shaiya stepped out of the tree with his wings spread, thoroughly expecting to begin a short glide downwards, like he always did, to get to the ground. But instead, he found himself in a very long, slow glide, a long way off from where he usually landed, and feeling unusually lofty. He uttered a small surprised snort, and gave his wings an experimental beat. When he rose higher, he started to flap harder, and laughed with the sheer joy of the realisation that he was flying. Then he was suddenly terrified. What if he couldn't land properly? What if he crashed and made a fool of himself? He angled his wings slightly to the right, leaned over and banked, wheeling slowly back to the tree. He beat his wings harder, flew upwards and landed on his favourite branch. Chris turned around, stunned.

_Did you just, y'know, fly? _he asked in shock. Shaiya nodded slowly.

_It was so easy! Climb on! _he told Chris on the spur of the moment.

_You sure that's a good idea? _he asked nervously, approaching the big gold dragon.

_Uhm, well, can we just try? Please? It'll be so cool to show Matt and Mith…_

_Okay, but I'm blaming you if I die._

Chris climbed onto Shaiya's back where he usually sat, and Shaiya approached the edge, snapped his wings open and leapt out. He grunted with exertion as he beat his wings with the extra weight, then wheeled around and flew towards Matt and Mithril's tree.

_We're flying! I can't believe it! Now we can get out of here! _Chris said joyously.

Shaiya circled once, trilling his joy, and landed clumsily on a large branch. Matt, for once, was still asleep, his peaceful face poking out from underneath Mithril's big blue wing and his hair all mussed. She opened one eye, shut it again, and then it snapped fully open as she realised what had just happened.

_How did you get here? _she demanded, even though she already know the answer.

_We flew,_ Shaiya said, swelling with pride.

Chris dismounted with a jump.

'We can FLY!' he cried happily. Matt's sleepy eyes opened slowly.

'Mmmngg, morning Chris, how's it going?'

'Rather well, thanks Matt. We flew here,' he said smugly.

Matt's eyes shot fully open as he realised what this meant.

'Teach us,' he demanded as he sat up. He shivered as the crisp morning air struck his bare torso.

Shaiya's face fell and Chris looked agitated.

'Well, you, erm, can't really-'

_-teach it as such, it's-_

'-something that just happened-'

_-and I had no power over it._

'So,' Matt said uneasily. 'We just wait.'

So they did. They waited for three long weeks. Three long weeks in which most of the others their age became airborne. Three long weeks in which Dominic almost seemed to come to respect them, although sometimes he still gazed at Matt with malice in his eyes. Three long weeks and people began to look on them with sympathy, and which the sky became frequented with multi-coloured shadows. Three long weeks was all it took for the weather to become cold and gloomy, the sun not rising until halfway through the second class of the day. Three long weeks, and surprisingly nobody else had fire yet, nor did Mithril have any brilliant ideas for Shadowback. Three long weeks and there were only six precious days until the applications were due in.

It was one of these days as Matt stirred and woke, the biting cold penetrating his safe haven under Mithril's wing. He gasped and shook, leaping to his feet and running to his small cabinet of clothing. His vain habit of sleeping shirtless was coming back to bite him in the butt. Once wearing a woolen black tunic and a heavy, waterproof cloak, he turned back to where Mithril had gathered his school things. He poked his feet into his boots and pulled on his fingerless gloves, rubbing his hands together to try to warm up.

_Morning, _he yawned. _How are you not frozen?_

_I'm a dragon, little wolf. How are YOU not frozen? _She looked at him playfully.

_I am!_

They arrived at the spells clearing alone, as usual, for not even Chris would keep them company now that he and Shaiya had flight. Nobody usually landed until the tutor had actually arrived and was impatiently waiting for them. Matt snuggled lower into his cape and wrapped his arms around himself, while Mithril entertained herself by climbing trees. She may not be able to fly, but she had developed an uncanny ability to bound from branch to branch, flitting around like one of the tiny fairy dragons that inhabited the bigger forests to the north.

Matt could feel frustration emanating from her as she sat still for a nanosecond, gazing at the others playing tag, wheeling and whooping as they soared effortlessly through the air. She began a long slow glide down to the ground, beating her wings in vain. Her breath condensed and froze on her scales, making her look like an ice queen.

_I can't do it!_ she huffed and sat down heavily next to her small rider who stroked her wings soothingly.

_I'm sure it'll come to you soon, _he replied. But he wasn't, and he knew that she could feel it.

_We have six days. _

_We have to try. _

That night, the clouds came in and let loose. Thunder crashed and the wind whipped through the trees, causing nobody to sleep. Rain pelted down, making loud smacking noises on the leaves. That was one disadvantage of living in a tree; the students were completely exposed to the elements.

Chris shivered and pulled his soaking blanket tighter around himself as he stared into the night, his hair plastered over his face and dripping in his eyes. Shaiya hid his head under a wing. A few trees away, across the thicket, Matt pressed himself closer to Mithril's side where the fires danced inside her. And across the other side of the wood, Dominic stood in the rain, his head thrown back, laughing a demonic laugh as it poured over him.

The next morning, Mithril awoke to blinding white. Her sensitive eyes instinctively screwed shut, in the vain hope of keeping it out. She blinked; once, twice, and then they adjusted, and she was spellbound. The whole area surrounding them was white. White trees, leaves, ground, branches, like a scene from an ancient drama frozen in time. White wings, white Matt… She giggled softly and flicked the snow out of his hair. He shivered at her touch and stirred, snuggling deeper into her warm side. A few seconds later she heard a muffled curse as the snow melted and went up his nose, and he spluttered and choked, then sneezed.

'Ahh, good morning,' she teased.

'Mmmff. 'S all white,' he mumbled.

'Indeed. It snowed last night.'

She lifted her wing off him and the cold swirled around him. It didn't take long in those kind of temperatures for him to be completely ready for classes, albeit very hungry. He bit into a strip of dried beef as he jumped down, Mithril following him, still attempting to fly. Her first few wingbeats carried her a small distance higher, but then she could not hold it anymore and resumed a downwards glide.

Matt sighed as together they walked to class. There were only five more days until all their applications were due in.

_I give up, little wolf._

_You can't! We need to get out of here!_

She lifted her wings in disgust.

_Look at these! They are pathetic! They don't serve their purpose._

_Baby, they the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Soon they will do what they were intended to. Besides, you can breathe fire, which nobody else can._

_So? I can't fly._

Matt sighed, knowing it was pointless to continue when Mithril was in a mood such as this. He could sense that something else was bothering her, but he couldn't discern just what.

Mithril hadn't talked to Shadowback since their conversation weeks ago. He had not said anything to her, but she could see his patience, and with it his trust, was wearing thin. She still had no idea how she was going to help him. No spell she could cast would work, dragon magic didn't work like that. She could feel her own fires burning inside her, in the special fire pit in her stomach, and sometimes if she listened closely, she could hear them flickering. Whatever was burning down there had to be extremely flammable, because she could feel it flare up intensely if she inhaled oxygen into her stomach. She wondered if Shadowback's fire pit was still sodden, wondered if she could somehow reignite whatever was there. That would require somehow giving her own fire to him, which was something she didn't know how to do. Unless she somehow breathed it down his throat… that would be somewhat awkward, not to mention intimate. She sighed and kept walking, hoping that the solution would present itself to her soon.


End file.
